[Extreme Tech]

Just as talkies replaced the silent film, and color has become the norm for feature films, avant garde, influential directors including Peter Jackson and James Cameron are determined to make high-frame-rate films, along with 3D, the next big thing in movies. Their crusade took a bit of a step sideways recently when the screening of clips from Jackson’s new film The Hobbit at CinemaCon was met with decidedly mixed reviews. Like it or not, though, expect to see more theaters equipped to show high-frame-rate movies, from 48 frames per second all the way up to 120 fps, and an increasing number of movies shot at higher frame rates. Jackson himself was stubbornly defensive after the screening, with PC Magazine characterizing his response to criticism as “deal with it.”

In technology, where more is almost always better, it is unusual to hear complaints about something getting faster. Some viewers of the preview complained that the scenes were “too real” — the 48 fps recording rendering the action so lifelike that they had trouble remembering that Middle Earth was supposed to be a fantasy. Other viewers missed the languid feel of traditional 24 fps movies. Unconsciously, we’re also used to 30 fps and above content being “made for TV,” and are accustomed to feature films showing at the lower 24 fps rate.

Film look sacrificed for the sake of 3D?

3D is one of the driving forces for high-frame-rate movies. By shooting at 48 fps, it’s possible to show 24 fps to each eye through a pair of active glasses, for example. …

The business of 48 fps

There is another big reason studios and theater chains will be pushing 3D — money. With increasingly capable home theater setups and Internet streaming competing with theaters, the movie business needs to differentiate its offerings in any way it can. …

High-frame-rate has attracted the attention of camera makers also. …

Read the full story here: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/128113-why-movies-are-moving-from-24-to-48-fps